Many types of filter assemblies have been proposed wherein a plurality of filter elements are telescopically disposed or otherwise bundled together to substantially increase the composite filtering capabilities thereof. Single-stage filter assemblies of this type normally comprise filter elements composed of a nylon screen or other suitable filtering medium formed into a cylinder or other suitable shape. The screen is normally formed by a weaving process whereby Nylon threads of various sizes are suitably woven into the desired number of threads per square inch to provide the desired micron openings for filtering purposes. In addition to manufacturing problems encountered with filtering assemblies of this type, such filter assemblies are normally quite expensive and do not provide the desired filtering area to space ratio for many filtering applications.